With a little more than a month to Selection Sunday, the tournament picture is becoming much clearer and teams are either breaking through or getting exposed. After the break we examine Duke's washout against Carolina, UCONN's winning streak, teams that are starting to gear up as the season winds down, and teams that were getting lots of attention that are starting to falter a bit. Also, another look at VMI as they get more love from the national media.
Duke's collapse not on Coach K
After trailing early, Duke exploded for a 52-44 lead at halftime and it was done by driving the ball and playing an up-tempo counter to the Heels' hot shooting. As the second half began one had to wonder if Duke could keep up the pace while the conditions inside Cameron Indoor reached sauna-like levels. As the game wore on, it was the North Carolina players, particularly Hansbrough and Ty Lawson who stepped their game up and eventually overwhelmed an exhausted Blue Devil team 101-87.
Earlier this year Catfish pointed out that Coach K was doing a better job this year with distributing minutes to his starters and involving the bench more frequently to balance both stamina and scoring. All of the players were hot, the court was moist, and all the uniforms were soaked through. Carolina's trademark light blue looked about 4 shades darker by the end of the game and all the players looked like they had just run through the sprinklers. Yet, it was Duke who showed the affects in the game.
Breaking down the minutes, the teams were similar across the board. No player logged more than 34 minutes. Lawson, Ellington, and Henderson were the only players with 34 minutes played, Hansbrough, Scheyer, and Singler had 33. Both teams had 7 players with double-digit minutes in total. Minutes were not the factor here, it was conditioning. In my opinion this should go on the strength and conditioning coach for Duke. If conditions get like that in your home building, you should be the team taking advantage not the visitors. It reminds me of a D-II school here in Charlotte, Queens University. Their basketball gym is known as "The Oven", it is painted on the wall of the place, and it can get ridiculously hot in there. I went to basketball camp there one summer and played in a summer league so I can attest to how the conditions can get. Queens uses that to their advantage though over their incoming opponents. Cameron Indoor is not as famed for its heat as The Oven but Duke's players should be well-prepared for it and the fact that it led to their sloppy shot selection and deteriorating defensive effort is on them.
Connecticut stil rolling
UCONN does not have the offensive firepower that Carolina does, but their defense has increasingly gotten better this year as evidenced in their 63-49 victory over Syracuse last night. The Cuse had been averaging 80 points a game going into last night, but led by Hasheem Thabeet in the middle, the Orange only shot 31.7%. The Huskies still have two games against Pittsburgh and a trip to Marquette and of course the Big East Tournament, but they are on track for a 1 seed. This season they have only allowed 80 points or more 3 times and have held opponents under 50 4 times.
With Thabeet getting praise and press for his shot-blocking and shot-altering, I must admit there is a developing officiating discrepancy in his favor. Like Tyler Hansbrough of last year, the refs are now giving Hasheem a lot of latitude on borderline calls. Last night he finished with one foul, but probably committed 3 or 4. Earlier in the year I was blowing the whistle (see what I did there?) on Thabeet getting unfair treatment because he was so big, particularly in the game against Gonzaga, but now it seems to have swung the other way. People have so much respect for his shot-blocking ability which is impressive that he is not called for all those instances when there is contact. His ability to stay on the floor is a key for the Huskies in the tournament.
It appears to be another Selection Sunday anxiety for our friend the Concierge and the Orange this year. The good news for Syracuse is they have early wins this year over Florida and Kansas in Kansas City and a victory at Memphis. The bad news is that they have been awful lately and are in danger of finishing sub .500 in the conference. Facing their old rival Georgetown this Saturday is a cruicial game for them. After that only the games at St. John's and home against Rutgers should be sure victories. It may once again come down to how they play at MSG in the Big East tourney to determine whether they get in or not.
Teams on the rise: Mizzou and Dayton
There are some teams that are hitting their stride and could possibly be Sweet 16 contenders in the tournament. Two that stick out to me are Missouri and Dayton. Missouri was nuder the radar until their last second victory over Kansas on Monday night. Many people may not recognize the coach of Missouri, Mike Anderson, but he has taken teams to the tournament before. Anderson began as a Nolan Richardson assistant and was at Arkansas for 17 years. His first head coaching job was not with the Razorbacks with whom he toiled for so long and even won a national championship in 1994, but with UAB out of Conference USA. He led the Blazers to post-season births in all four seasons there and in 2004 he guided them to an upset of the number 1 overall seed Kentucky to advance to the Sweet 16. It has taken him a couple years to get the Tigers going, but now has them playing his kind of ball with his kind of players. Quinn Snyder seems like a distant memory at the moment in Mizzou.
I brought up Dayton on our podcast last week as a sleeper in the A-10 and they opened up some eyes last night as they took down Xavier 71-58. The Flyers dropped a bad one to Charlotte before this big win but still stand at 22-3 and have wins at Marquette and now against Xavier. They are not a team that will blow you away with the rest of their schedule, but they have been winning and could make some noise in the tournament. Xavier has dropped a couple of games lately, but do not discount the Musketeers just yet, people who did that last year saw them make a run to the Elite 8. (*sidenote: I had Xavier in my Final Four last year, gahhh what a call that would have been) 
Teams on the slide: Wake Forest and Marquette
I know I just praised Dayton for winning at Marquette and now I am going to criticize them but both the Eagles and Wake are locks as tourney teams. Marquette lost its hold on first place in the Big East and now faces some tough games to close out conference play. The first of their consecutive loses, a 57-56 loss at South Florida can be seen as simply a slip-up, but they followed that with a 102-84 pounding by a dangeours Villanova team. Marquette is not in any danger of completely losing control but they need to be playing good ball when the tourney starts. They still have Connecticut, at Louisville, at Pittsburgh, and Syracuse left on the schedule. Buzz Williams has to keep their heads up.
Wake Forest has slipped to 6th in the ACC after dropping a game to a bad NC State team 82-76. Since reaching number 1 in January, the Deacons have dropped 4 of 6 including a 27 point drubbing in Miami last week. They still have the accomplishment of beating both North Carolina and Duke and their resume is strong enough to get a decent seeding but they need to get the momentum that propelled them to their lofty status back. Florida State, at Duke and Clemson are the only games that should give them trouble left on the schedule. If they do not finish at least 9-7 in the ACC they could be looking at a 8 or 9 seed.
The VMI story does not get old
As a former coach in college athletics, I cannot tell you how much I admire VMI head coach Duggar Baucom. His story is so compelling and I hope VMI makes it into the tournament not just because of Baucom, but I want to see them use their up-tempo style of play against a tournament team. There was a great article in Sports Illustrated recently on the coach, the team, and the Holmes twins. A similar article from the NY Times can be seen here.
Thursday, February 12
College Basketball Notebook: Time for a Stretch Run
WARNING: Soccer Post
Only one thing turns my eye towards soccer, and that is the World Cup. I cannot stand watching soccer, I totally dislike it as a sport, but there is something about the Cup that just ignites the patriot and sportsfan in me. Last night the US team which bombed in the last World Cup in 2006 beat their rival Mexico 2-0 in Columbus, Ohio. Michael Bradley, not destined to become a household name, scored twice in the victory. Just to show how much of a rivalry this is, when the Americans last played in Mexico, the fans in the stands were chanting "Osama" so this win had to feel especially good. Soccer will slip back to where it belongs after this win fades, but it was a chance to see the promise of a good American showing in 2010 in South Africa.
Bradley's double leads U.S. to World Cup qualifier win over Mexico [CBSSports]
Wednesday, February 11
Top Ten: Individual Tarheel Performances Against Duke
No game inspires more cliches than the Carolina Duke rivalry. Tonight, when Soulja Roy leads his troops into battle, you're guaranteed to hear how far apart the two shools are, see the Jason Capel shot (isn't it funnt how so many Duke fans love this moment, and it was a loss and Coach K wasn't a part of it), and about how Larry Brown and Art Heyman took the rivalry to a new level. Many Duke fans... correction, some older Duke fans that realize that the program existed before Coach K and the '91 season will tell you that fight cost Duke the championship. I'm not above saying anything nice about Duke, but it generally involves their women and birthing hips, which in certain company isn't considered complimentary. With any further ado, here's the top ten individual performances by Carolina players in the rivalry.
10. Al Wood - Carolina's first win over a Duke team ranked #1 in the country (they 
weren't ranked that high very often back in the day). The Heels were previously 0-2 when Duke was ranked in the top spot, Al Wood led all scorers with 20 points en route to ruining Mike Gminski's final game in Cameron against the Tarheels. Wood also scored 14 in a 25 drubbing of the Devils in the final game of the regular season. Wood's best performance, however, came in the ACC tournament game in which Duke prevailed. Wood had 32 points, the only Tarheel with more than seven in the game, but Duke prevailed behind the G-man's 24 points and 19 rebounds.
9. George Karl - In the only time the two teams have met in postseason play (beyong 
the ACC tournament), George Karl led the Heels with 21 points in the semifinal round of the NIT. Carolina would go on to win the NIT, and Duke would lose the third place game to St. Bonaventure. More known for his defense, Karl's offensive outburst was key following a knee injury to leading scorer Dennis Wuycik. Forward Bill Chamberlain would win the MVP for the tournament, but it wouldn't have been possible with out Karl's performance against the Blue Devils.
8. Steve Hale - In January of 1986, the Dean Dome opened its doors for the 
first time, and rather than playing a patsy to insure an easy first victory, the Heels invited Duke to be their first victim opponent. A tightly contested game, saw the Heels emerge victorious 95-92, behind excellent performances by two Heels: Brad Daugherty and Steve Hale. Daugherty posted a double-double (23-11), but Hale had 28 points on 10 of 12 from the field and 8 of 9 from the charity stripe. Hale would later suffer a collapsed lung against Maryland, and while on the bench at Cameron, was chided with chants of "In-Hale, Ex-Hale," a chant that is credited with the start of the national recognition of the Crazies as Dickie V's favorites.
7. J.R. Reid - The most controversial period of the Dean Smith/Coach K rivalry 
centered around J.R., in 1989 Duke fans had signs that stated, "J.R. can't Reid." For Duke fans, it was little more than (semi)clever word play, but for Dean Smith, a man that had been a part of the civil rights movement, the sign crossed a line. Reid always played well against the Devils, putting the team on his back in a 1988 game, where the team fell short, leading the team to a 20-point beatdown of a top ranked and undefeated Duke team in the first meeting in 1989, but his best performance was in the '89 ACC tournament championship game. Reid led the team in scoring, but with only 14 points it was his defense that contributed most to the victory. Danny Ferry was the National Player of the Year, but struggled mightily against Reid, matching Reid's fourteen points, but on 20 shots and was held to only three rebounds.
6. Raymond Felton - With Duke riding a six game series winning streak, and having won 
eleven of the last twelve, an unranked Carolina needed a spectacular effort to knock off tenth ranked Duke in March of 2003. Duke was led by JJ Redick, Shelden Williams, Chris Duhon, and Dahntay Jones and had been ranked in the single digits all season, until a one point loss to St. John's (led by Marcus Hatten's 29). One week later, the strode into the Dean Dome to face a Carolina team searching for it's identity with young coach Matt Doherty at the helm. Spurned on by two of their freshmen, Rashad McCants and Raymond Felton Carolina would snap the losing streak. McCants was the top scorer in the game with 26, but Raymond Felton had 18 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds (nearly a crappy triple double) to lead the Tarheels.
5. Bob Lewis - Fresh off the Art Heyman era, Duke had captured seven straight against 
the Heels (their longest streak in the rivalry, Carolina has twice won eight straight). In January of 1965, Duke was ranked in the top ten and Dean Smith was being hung in effigy. Billy Cunningham famously tore down that effigy and was a big player against Duke in Durham, but it was Bob Lewis who shone through. Lewis's 21 points trailed Cunningham by only one, but his 12 rebounds were instrumental in securing a 65-62 victory over the favored Devils. This was only Dean's second win against Duke in his fifth season at Chapel Hill. Smith would recover to go 59-35 against Duke, and 24-14 against Coach K.
4. Joseph Forte - Perhaps the most forgotten Tarheel of the last twenty years (mostly 
because fans of other teams won't let us forget Makhtar), Forte was a one man wrecking crew against the Devils. In 2000, he forced overtime with a dramatic three, but his best show came in Cameron in February of 2001. The game was the first against Duke for rookie head coach Matt Doherty and his team faced an uphill climb against the number 2 ranked Devils led by Jason (now Jay) Williams, Mike Dunleavy, and Carlos Boozer. Forte stole the show, scoring 24 and grabbing 16 rebounds. At 6' 3" he outrebounded everyone, including his teammate, 7-footer Brendan Haywood. Forte won ACC rookie of the year in 2000, and this game helped earn him 2001 ACC POY honors, and also insured that every Duke team that has won a national championship, has also lost that same year to UNC.
3. Jerry Stackhouse and Danny Green - Need you ask why?
2. Tyler Hansbrough - Few games have been as satisfying in for Tarheel 
fans, than senior night in Cameron 2006. In both JJ Redick's and Shelden Williams's final games in the building, it was a freshman that stole the show, outplaying both of them. Hansbrough had 27 points, 10 rebounds, and even a three pointer to clinch the 83-76 final. Tonight Hansbrough (and Danny Green) will attempt to go 4 for 4 in games at Cameron, something no player has ever done at Carolina (The Heels did win five straight from '73 to '77).
1. Walter Davis - Eight points in seventeen seconds. Along with senior Bobby Jones, 
who scored 24, it was again a freshman, Walter Davis, whose 31 points paced the team to a 96-92 overtime win against the Devils. Coach Smith famously predicted, "We can win this game. Bobby is going to make these free throws, we're going to put a trap on them and get a steal and score quickly." Jones did, the tem did get the steal, and then a long pass after a missed free throw by Mitch Kupchak to Davis set up a 30-foot bank shot at the buzzer to tie the game in arguably the greatest comeback in college basketball history.
The ASD Universe Explodes Tonight
The slate is extremely busy for ASD and friends this evening.
First off, we have our weekly trivia contest a the local pub. After winning 4 weeks in a row we hit a 3 week losing streak but got back on track last week. Luckily, I will not be alone this week as Catfish and Xtra Medium will run the Triangle Offense of useless knowledge. A win means 25 bucks off our tab, a loss means humiliation and degredation in the form of free pizza or a bucket.
The Buffalo Sabres are 8 games over .500 and in 7th place in the Eastern Conference but just 3 points out of 4th. They square off against the Senators at the HSBC tonight.
In the NBA, Catfish is riding high after the Bobcats snapped their 5 game losing streak Monday. Their last game before the all-star break is tonight at home against Washington. The days off will certainly help get everyone healthy, especially Gerald Wallace. The Wizards have lost 8 of their last 10 and the Cats can not afford to drop this one going into the break because with the Bucks most likely out of the playoff picture now with their injuries, Charlotte is very much in the playoff race.
Before the main course of UNC-Duke, my favorite (tied with the CANES) team UCONN hosts Syracuse (ESPN 7 PM) which is the alma mater of our friend the Concierge. Going back to our high school days games between these two have been heated and wagers were made and hillarity ensued. The Orange need to get back on track but will have a tough test tonight in Gampel.
Then of course we have the game of the night and I'm willing to bet Catfish will be lacing the air with some profanities. I cannot see Carolina losing this game but if Duke is going to stay in this they have to shoot more than 34 percent from three and get one or more of the key Tar Heel players in foul trouble. Oh my the officiating should be fun in this one.
The countdown on the clock at the office has already begun...almost gametime.
North Carolina and Duke: A Time to Hate
Tonight North Carolina travels 8 miles down the streets of Tobacco Road to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face their arch rivals on the hardwood. The Tarheels are the favored team and overall the more talented, but that is only a slight advantage when it comes to these two teams. I am not a proponent of trying to determine what is the "best rivalry" in sports. It is an argument that cannot be settled by any statistical figure and what one rivalry means to one fan could mean the opposite to any other. Having grown up in North Carolina however, I can say that this game is always a special event in the state and like most intense athletic contests that are special, the key component is hatred. Both teams and their fans hate each other, some people watching the game hate both teams, some people hate Dick Vitale who is calling the game, some hate the coaches, some hate the officiating but the bottom line is there is so much hate and so much to hate that the game is a release for that emotion.
As once joked on the Chapelle Show, "You got hate in your heart let it out." Sometimes there is a time to throw away the constrictive social morays of self-control and tactful objectivity. It is natural to have hate built up inside you from time to time. Mostly it is not directed personally at others, but rather a discontent with our own selves that breeds the wrath thrown on others. The UNC-Duke game is a perfect chance to project our own feelings of insecurity, anger at things out of our control, and the injustices of the world and manifest them into a 40 minute basketball game. This is easier for the fans of the teams, but it is not hard for people who have no dog in this fight to generate their own because like I stated, the hate comes from within.
For Carolina fans the hate is one that is shared with most of the nation. Duke is seen as a snobby private school for smart unattractive pricks who mostly hale from New Jersey. The school has a sense of entitlement about itself and it has become an easy target for dislike around the nation. Just ask the lacrosse team. On the court, the team is led by Coach K whom supporters believe is a bastion of leading young men to live better lives. The dissenters argue the Rat King has become a bully to officials and do not see the humble nature his admires talk about when he is pocketing huge checks from endorsement deals and speaking appearances. The Duke players receive similar venom from detractors. "Hustlers" like Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Trajan Langdon, Shane Battier, Wojo, and now Greg Paulus are easy targets for hate. Players like this are easily polarizing and it is no surprise why a Duke fan why you love these guys and why as a anti-Duke fan you cannot stand them.
North Carolina may be nationally the more popular team of these two, but there is plenty of room for haters. Similarly to Duke, UNC fans are sometimes seen as haughty self-righteous douches. Sam Cassell once labled them as "a wine and cheese" crowd which is a moniker that has followed them ever since. The perception is that Carolina fans think they are the best, without question and that is a trait that is an easy target for hatred. Roy Williams would seem to be a guy who is hard to hate, but the beauty of hating is that you can always find something you do not like about someone. In Roy's case the weak argument about the 2005 national championship being won with Matt Doherty's players is a popular one. There are also shots taken against Roy for his "aww shucks" persona which has led to comparisons to Huckleberry Hound. Tar Heel players usually are the top prospects coming in so they are usually hated for how good they are, but that cannot stop the hate parade for players like Eric Montross, Rasheed, Stackhouse, and most notably Tyler Hansbrough. Like some of the most infamous Duke hate targets, Tyler draws the ire of ABCers (Anybody But Carolina for the lay people) for the admiration of his hustle and grit. The notion that Hansbrough gets special treatment from the officials adds fuel to the fire as well.
I cannot wait for tonight's contest even though I root for neither team and never have and certainly never will. I could reel off a bunch of numbers, statistics and facts about the history of the games between these two but HBO has a special coming out later this month on it and if it was anything like their show on Michigan-Ohio State they can say it better than I. The hate is what makes it compelling, think about any rivalry in sports; Yankees-Sox, Cubs-Cardinals, Lakers-Celtics, Steelers-Ravens, etc. When something happens between the teams to spark more hatred, the more compelling it is to watch. The characters on both sides that are either adored or hated increases the desire to see that which you hate destroyed. So if you have some anger welling inside you, find something about tonight's game, anything and let that hate out.
Gratuitous videos from the rivlary:
Defense anyone?
Catfish would like to point out Duke still lost this game:
Joe Forte sighting!
Tyler goes boom (Still think Pyscho T is a lame nickname):
Chris Collins and Matt Doherty not playing nice-nice:
Marvin Williams puts the biscuit in the basket:
Tuesday, February 10
H-O-R-S-E
The NBA's bringing back the old classic game of HORSE for this year's All-Star Game (which will feature a cut out of Andre the Giant at backup center for the East), and the three participants have been named. Kevin Durant, OJ Mayo and Joe Johnson will compete outdoors as part of the weekend's festivities. It'll be hard to live up to the hype created by this game of HORSE, which is our favorite, for no other reason than Paul Westphal's blank uniform and the fact that both are identified as amphibious right off the top. Fast forward to the 2:15 mark and realize the Dunk Contest participants should be consulting Westphal.
At Backup Center for Your Eastern Conference All-Stars...
Mo Williams? I defended the league's choice to pick Bosh over Emeka for the reserve spot on the All-Star team, even after stating the case for Mek to go, but no mas! David Stern hand-picked Mo Williams to fill the roster spot left by Chris Bosh, who will miss the game with a sprained knee. So... if Rashard Lewis is the backup power forward, who is going to take Dwight Howard's spot? Danny Granger? Paul Pierce? All-Star games are supposed to be fun, but should also reward players in the league from ALL teams, not just the ones that appear on TV nightly. I try to convince people the Bobcats do matter as a franchise, but David Stern's standing behind me shaking his head and mouthing, "No, they don't." Thanks Commish.
Another Trade for the Cats?
Less than 24 hours after Cleet and I finished up a new edition of Bobcats Planet Radio, in which we both felt like the team was done moving pieces, a new report has surfaced. Via ESPN:
"The discussions between the teams have been ongoing for weeks, though the parameters and pieces have continually changed. If the deal comes to fruition, the sources said, it would likely include Tinsley, Jeff Foster and a third player (Brandon Rush, Stephen Graham, Marquis Daniels) going to the Bobcats for Felton, Nazr Mohammed and Sean May."
I've loved every trade the team has done this season, but trading Raymond Felton at this point seems questionable at best. That these conversations are even taking place seems to suggest that my assessment the team wanted to keep Raymond beyond this year, was off as well. As the saying goes In Larry Brown I Trust, but bringing in a cancer, and an oft-injured one (the exact opposite of Raymond)like Tinsley, another big man with an injury history in Foster, and a to be determined player for your starting point guard just doesn't add up. The team has made a series of moves this season in which they've brought in pieces that have fallen out of favor with their former clubs, but nothing on par with Tinsley. Earlier this season, I praised this team for being, if not a great team, a great group of young men. Adding Tinsley would appear to go counter to everything this team has built.
Sometimes You Forget: The Baron Davis Dunk
Last night the Charlotte Bobcats dispatched of the Clippers and their intrepid point guard Baron Davis 94-73. Sometimes I do forget that the Beard Baron was once a member of the Charlotte Hornets. Catfish and I were privileged enough to be at this game where Davis had one of the best dunks I have ever seen in person on then Minnesota Timberwolf Kevin Garnett. Perhaps this is where KG got his anything is possible inspiration. One of the greatest parts of this event was that there was a group of Minnesota fans a few rows ahead of us and they were making quite a scene about how great they were and how legendary KG was. After this dunk though, they resigned themselves to solemn clapping when the T-Wolves did anything positive.
The video footage is below and although it is fuzzier than the Zapruder film, you get the feel for the dunk. Anything relating to the Charlotte Hornets always brings back the memories from that special little place inside like seeing the old Coliseum and the bee trail flowing out from center court. Throw it down, Baron, throw it down.
Monday, February 9
The Day Harangody's POY Chances Died
Pauly Pavilion has been home to plenty of history in its day, and the latest chapter was written on Saturday. Any chance Luke Harangody had of winning the 2009 Player of the Year disappeared. His numbers are comparable to Blake Griffin's and while his team was struggling, that the performances were equitable and he plays in a tougher conference would have some voters leaning his way. All that changed when the Fighting Irish played at UCLA and "the Goad" was held to five points on two of twelve from the field.
He's just the most recent POY candidate to be held in check to the point of single digits. Arizona State's James Harden was kept to just four points in a loss to USC. Tyler Hansbrough had only eight, when Carolina survived thanks to a buzzer beating 3-pointer by Ty Lawson at Florida State. Only a few of the POY candidates have avoided a single digit game, namely Jodie Meeks and Blake Griffin. With Meeks's team struggling through a three-game losing streak, his field goal percentage and chance at the award are slipping. While the award appears to be getting close to defaulting to Griffin, there's still another candidate that will garner some votes. Stephen Curry.
Stephen Curry was also victimized by a low no scoring night, thanks to Jimmy Patsos, but because his team still won by thirty he should feel no ill effects. With so many of the top candidates having rough patches during the season, Curry will become a fashionable choice. It's like people that claim Paul Giamatti is the country's best actor, not because of anything factual, but because he does independent and artsy films and it makes the person saying it feel superior, as if they are smarter than the average person who just can't appreciate that type of greatness. I love Steph Curry as much as the next guy, but it's a thin line between Kevin Martin and Steph Curry, and that line has a name: Jason Richards. Being paired with Richards (a NBA-caliber point guard) in the back court last season enabled Davidson's incredible run, and without that run Curry's name doesn't even enter the conversation. Curry's an incredible player, but if people were going to give Harangody the lean over Griffin because of conference, Griffin has to be extended the same courtesy.
